artist Don Vail

Time. How do you bottle time? A question of more significance with every passing year, as each month appears to speed up, and the days begin to blur together. On Don Vail’s debut record they orchestrate an urgency and excitement that betrays the 4-year wait to culminate their sound. The band has transformed over those years, mutating their sonic palette along the way, but eventually settling down with Chris Bell, Mitch Bowden, David Dunham, and Bill Priddle as its core members. An inherent chemistry from their dedication and desire to write, perform, and cultivate music is exceedingly apparent throughout their self-titled debut album.

Recorded in Pembroke, Ontario under the patient ear of Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Ken Andrews, Sam Roberts), the album showcases the band’s ability to meld infectious melodies with muscular foundations, creating an intricate, layered sound that still captures the immediacy reminiscent of their 90s indie rock forefathers without losing a sense of the present.

The band plans to release the album independently, foregoing the traditional distribution and record labels streams, keeping the focus squarely on the music. The coming months will see the band increase their live commitments, and continue to write music. Hopefully, the wait will be less than four years this time around, but as long as Don Vail maintains the artistry found on their debut album, time doesn’t matter.

By Adam Bentley